Compact Control Arm Assembly with Integrated Nodes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art control arms are bulky due to high performance demands and stresses, limiting the turning radius capabilities of vehicle steering.
Innovation Solution
A compact control arm assembly with a tubular steel body featuring an arcuate shape and integrated nodes for rotation, including a bayonette configuration for mounting a bushing assembly and a flexible seal to enhance the ball-and-socket joint connection, reducing material usage and improving dimensional tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If control arms are made bulky to meet high performance demands and stresses, then strength and reliability are improved, but the turning radius capabilities of vehicle steering deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The control arm is divided into two separate components: a control arm member and a knuckle member, which are joined together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the control arm member can be strengthened while the knuckle member accommodates the steering geometry, resolving the conflict between strength and turning radius
Solution Approach 2:
The control arm member is inserted into a recess of the knuckle member, creating a nested structure. This nesting allows the control arm to be positioned within the knuckle assembly, reducing the overall external dimensions while maintaining the structural integrity and strength of the control arm function
2Strength
If control arms are made bulky to meet high performance demands and stresses, then structural integrity is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the control arm into separate control arm member and knuckle member allows for optimized material distribution and potential use of different materials or cross-sections in each component, reducing overall weight while maintaining structural integrity through the joined assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The control arm assembly uses composite construction with the control arm member and knuckle member as separate components joined together. This composite approach allows optimization of each component's material properties and geometry to achieve the required strength with minimized weight
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An assembly including a control arm and a steering knuckle, one of the control arm and the steering knuckle having a first end with a ball, the other of the control arm and the steering knuckle having a socket that includes a bearing structure formed so as to surround a portion of the ball to securely fasten the ball to the socket. The control arm has a bayonette configuration to receive a first node and a second node is cast directly onto the control arm